So I should probably be working. But instead, I'm writing a profile on the defending World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox. Because I have terribly skewed priorities.
Starting Up: The Red Sox were a charter member of the American League, taking to the diamond in 1901 along with seven other teams (the modern-day Orioles, White Sox, Indians, Tigers, Twins, Yankees and Athletics). The AL's founder, Ban Johnson, specifically placed franchises in Philadelphia and Boston to compete with the already-present National League teams there.
The team was originally known as the Americans, but eventually changed its name to Red Sox. The Braves (then in Boston) had been known as the Red Stockings at the time of their founding in the mid-1870s, but had stopped wearing the red socks by the early 1900s. So John Taylor, owner of the Americans at the time, changed the team's name to Red Stockings, which was then shortened by local sports writers to Red Sox so the team's name would actually fit in the headlines.
Aside from the name, Taylor's biggest contribution to the team was buying the land on which Fenway Park would eventually be built. The stadium was opened in 1912 and is still being used today, making it the oldest park in the Major Leagues, predating the Cubs' Wrigley Field by two years.
The team was originally known as the Americans, but eventually changed its name to Red Sox. The Braves (then in Boston) had been known as the Red Stockings at the time of their founding in the mid-1870s, but had stopped wearing the red socks by the early 1900s. So John Taylor, owner of the Americans at the time, changed the team's name to Red Stockings, which was then shortened by local sports writers to Red Sox so the team's name would actually fit in the headlines.
Aside from the name, Taylor's biggest contribution to the team was buying the land on which Fenway Park would eventually be built. The stadium was opened in 1912 and is still being used today, making it the oldest park in the Major Leagues, predating the Cubs' Wrigley Field by two years.
Greatest Runs
The First Great AL Team (1901-1904): Right out of the gate, the Red Sox (then the Americans) established themselves as one of the great teams in the American League. They won 60.5% of their games in the first four seasons in team history (best in the AL in this stretch and second in baseball behind the Pittsburgh Pirates) and won two straight pennants in 1903 and 1904. The Americans won the first ever World Series in 1903, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates.
There was no World Series in 1904 because John McGraw, manager of the NL pennant winning New York Giants, actively refused to have his team face the Americans. Granted, it was mainly to stick it to AL president Ban Johnson, but that kind of gives credence to the perception that the Giants knew they were going to get their asses kicked and ran the hell away from that likely fate as fast as they could.
There was no World Series in 1904 because John McGraw, manager of the NL pennant winning New York Giants, actively refused to have his team face the Americans. Granted, it was mainly to stick it to AL president Ban Johnson, but that kind of gives credence to the perception that the Giants knew they were going to get their asses kicked and ran the hell away from that likely fate as fast as they could.
The 1910s Dynasty (1912-1918): In terms of pennants and world championships, this is the most successful period in team history. While they were little brothered a bit by the also dominant Philadelphia Athletics in the first half of the decade (though the Red Sox DID win a World Series in between the A's four pennants), once the A's went into free fall, the Red Sox were almost unbeatable.
They only finished lower than second once in seven seasons from 1912 to 1918 and won three World Series in four years from 1915 to 1918. A major contributor to these teams was a pitcher and occasional position player named George Herman. The Red Sox went into drought mode after this, but for these years they were an honest to God dynasty.
They only finished lower than second once in seven seasons from 1912 to 1918 and won three World Series in four years from 1915 to 1918. A major contributor to these teams was a pitcher and occasional position player named George Herman. The Red Sox went into drought mode after this, but for these years they were an honest to God dynasty.
Ted Williams Is Awesome (1946-1951): After Ted Williams returned from serving in World War II, he apparently made it a point to prove he was the most awesome guy who ever baseballed ever. Williams' Baseball Reference page during this period is just a wall of bold numbers. He won two batting titles, two MVPs and led the league in OBP and SLG pretty much every year.
In addition to Williams' dominance, the Red Sox as a team were a powerhouse. In this six season stretch, only the Yankees had more wins in baseball. The Red Sox won 104 games on route to winning the 1946 AL pennant (they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in a tough seven-game series). After this season, they never finished lower than third in the AL until 1952.
In addition to Williams' dominance, the Red Sox as a team were a powerhouse. In this six season stretch, only the Yankees had more wins in baseball. The Red Sox won 104 games on route to winning the 1946 AL pennant (they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in a tough seven-game series). After this season, they never finished lower than third in the AL until 1952.
Close, But No Cigar (1971-1979): The Red Sox of this era never finished lower than third, so yeah they were a pretty good team. This culminated in 1975 when they won their first division title (after 1968 there were East and West divisions in both leagues). They swept the defending three-time champion Oakland Athletics in three games and pushed the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds to seven games.
While the Sox didn't win, they hardly embarrassed themselves. And for a team supposedly under a curse, they were pretty dominant in this era, winning more games than any other AL team besides the Baltimore Orioles.
While the Sox didn't win, they hardly embarrassed themselves. And for a team supposedly under a curse, they were pretty dominant in this era, winning more games than any other AL team besides the Baltimore Orioles.
No More "Curse" (2003-2009): The Red Sox were primed to make a huge run starting in 2003 with the team filled with great pitching, great offense and best of all, young talented players. And they almost did... until Game 7 of the ALCS when Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in way too long against the hated Yankees, which made the ensuing loss that much worse.
Little was fired after that gaffe and was replaced by Terry Francona. The Red Sox were in the same situation later that year in the ALCS, once again facing the Yankees. After digging themselves a 3-0 hole, the Red Sox made history by becoming the first team in Major League history to start a seven-game series 0-3 and winning the next four consecutive games, securing their first pennant since 1986. In contrast to the back and forth affair of the ALCS, the Red Sox beat the Cardinals' asses in the World Series with a four-game sweep, finally winning another World Series after an 86 year drought. Fittingly, the team that won the first ever World Series won the 100th one as well.
From 2003 to 2009, the Red Sox made the playoffs six times, got to the ALCS four times and went to two World Series, winning both. After so many years of heartbreak and suffering as also-rans, they were one of the best teams of the 2000s.
Little was fired after that gaffe and was replaced by Terry Francona. The Red Sox were in the same situation later that year in the ALCS, once again facing the Yankees. After digging themselves a 3-0 hole, the Red Sox made history by becoming the first team in Major League history to start a seven-game series 0-3 and winning the next four consecutive games, securing their first pennant since 1986. In contrast to the back and forth affair of the ALCS, the Red Sox beat the Cardinals' asses in the World Series with a four-game sweep, finally winning another World Series after an 86 year drought. Fittingly, the team that won the first ever World Series won the 100th one as well.
From 2003 to 2009, the Red Sox made the playoffs six times, got to the ALCS four times and went to two World Series, winning both. After so many years of heartbreak and suffering as also-rans, they were one of the best teams of the 2000s.
Leanest Years
Ban Johnson Curses the Team (1920-1932): Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the then-hapless New York Yankees in 1920, which forever changed the fortunes of both teams. The Yankees went on to win four World Series during Ruth's tenure with the team while the Red Sox collapsed, finishing in last place nine times in eleven seasons from 1922 to 1932. Contributing to Boston's hard luck, they sold damn near all of their best players to the Yankees during this time. For many years, people blamed this run of horrible decisions on Frazee, but it wasn't entirely his fault. It was American League president Ban Johnson.
Frazee bought the team without getting permission from Johnson, the first owner to do that at the time. Because of that little oversight, Johnson almost immediately went out of his way to make things difficult for Frazee. He prohibited Frazee from making deals with almost all of the American League teams (the "Loyal Five" as they were dubbed, the Indians, Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators, were strong armed by Johnson not to accept anything the Red Sox offered). Frazee could only do business with either the Yankees or the White Sox. And with the dark cloud of the Black Sox scandal hovering over the White Sox, the Yankees were the only viable option as far as trading partners were concerned.
So when Frazee got fed up dealing with Ruth's bullshit (Ruth would go on all-night benders and skipped the last few games of 1919 season as just two examples of his dickery), off to the pinstripes he went.
But there was another, more insidious reason for Johnson's campaign of pettiness- antisemitism.
Because Frazee was from New York and worked closely in the theatre, Johnson erroneously believed Frazee was a Jew (he was actually a Presbyterian). Johnson being a man of his time and a dick even by those lofty standards, wanted to keep baseball as white and Christian as possible. Johnson's campaign against Frazee combined with several incendiary articles written about Frazee in Henry Ford's hate-spewing newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, greatly contributed to public backlash against Frazee and the team. Attendance dropped dramatically and the team was nearly bankrupted, another reason Frazee accepted the Yankees' offer for Ruth (they gave him a shit-load of money).
So yeah, the "curse of the Bambino" was born out of Ban Johnson wanting to prove he was the big swinging dick around the AL parts and to rid baseball of Jews. In case you were wondering, no, the world was not a good place to live 90+ years ago.
Frazee bought the team without getting permission from Johnson, the first owner to do that at the time. Because of that little oversight, Johnson almost immediately went out of his way to make things difficult for Frazee. He prohibited Frazee from making deals with almost all of the American League teams (the "Loyal Five" as they were dubbed, the Indians, Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators, were strong armed by Johnson not to accept anything the Red Sox offered). Frazee could only do business with either the Yankees or the White Sox. And with the dark cloud of the Black Sox scandal hovering over the White Sox, the Yankees were the only viable option as far as trading partners were concerned.
So when Frazee got fed up dealing with Ruth's bullshit (Ruth would go on all-night benders and skipped the last few games of 1919 season as just two examples of his dickery), off to the pinstripes he went.
But there was another, more insidious reason for Johnson's campaign of pettiness- antisemitism.
Because Frazee was from New York and worked closely in the theatre, Johnson erroneously believed Frazee was a Jew (he was actually a Presbyterian). Johnson being a man of his time and a dick even by those lofty standards, wanted to keep baseball as white and Christian as possible. Johnson's campaign against Frazee combined with several incendiary articles written about Frazee in Henry Ford's hate-spewing newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, greatly contributed to public backlash against Frazee and the team. Attendance dropped dramatically and the team was nearly bankrupted, another reason Frazee accepted the Yankees' offer for Ruth (they gave him a shit-load of money).
So yeah, the "curse of the Bambino" was born out of Ban Johnson wanting to prove he was the big swinging dick around the AL parts and to rid baseball of Jews. In case you were wondering, no, the world was not a good place to live 90+ years ago.
World War II (1943-1945): Ted Williams enlisted in the military to serve our country and to blow the hell out of the Axis powers (possibly in that order) before the 1943 season. As such, he and numerous other major leaguers making the same commitment couldn't play baseball. Obviously, the stuff going on in Europe and Asia was far more significant, but in the bubble of escapist pleasure, the Red Sox during this three year period largely struggled, finishing in seventh place twice.
Losers Only (1956-1966): Aside from an aging Ted Williams and later on, a young Carl Yastrzemski, this period of the Red Sox was a bad one where they mired in mediocrity. Not helping the team was the fact that they weren't signing any black players. This despite the fact that 13 of the 16 teams had integrated by this point. The Red Sox held firm, not signing a black player until 1959. They were the last team to integrate.
This decision came straight from the top it seems. As documented in many different sources, longtime owner Tom Yawkey (and member of the baseball hall of fame because why wouldn't he be?) was an unapologetic racist. He actually believed that black players were not talented enough to play for his team. A team that finished at least ten games out of first place for over 15 years. And despite the absurd logic of that statement, Yawkey apparently decided to sign some really shitty white players to combat those untalented Negros and their teams with lax standards.
To the family's credit, Yawkey's wife Jean donated a great deal of money to African American charities and organizations and tried to rid the team of its lingering racist past when she took over after Tom's death. But Tom Yawkey himself was a contemptible person and hurt the team and frankly, the city of Boston and baseball because of his bigotry.
This decision came straight from the top it seems. As documented in many different sources, longtime owner Tom Yawkey (and member of the baseball hall of fame because why wouldn't he be?) was an unapologetic racist. He actually believed that black players were not talented enough to play for his team. A team that finished at least ten games out of first place for over 15 years. And despite the absurd logic of that statement, Yawkey apparently decided to sign some really shitty white players to combat those untalented Negros and their teams with lax standards.
To the family's credit, Yawkey's wife Jean donated a great deal of money to African American charities and organizations and tried to rid the team of its lingering racist past when she took over after Tom's death. But Tom Yawkey himself was a contemptible person and hurt the team and frankly, the city of Boston and baseball because of his bigotry.
You Should Probably Win In the Playoffs (1987-1994): After the Red Sox lost the 1986 World Series to the Mets, their fortunes began to trend downward. While there were still players who individually had good or great seasons, the team itself struggled.
The team made the playoffs in 1988 and 1990, but were swept each time, a team record for futility in the playoffs. And those were the good teams in this run. Most years, they were so irrelevant that even thinking about sucking in the playoffs would have been out of line. The Red Sox were decisively middle of the road as a team, completely overshadowed by the A's, Blue Jays and many other AL clubs.
The team made the playoffs in 1988 and 1990, but were swept each time, a team record for futility in the playoffs. And those were the good teams in this run. Most years, they were so irrelevant that even thinking about sucking in the playoffs would have been out of line. The Red Sox were decisively middle of the road as a team, completely overshadowed by the A's, Blue Jays and many other AL clubs.
Bobby Valentine Is An Asshole No One Likes (2011-2012): The Red Sox were doing well going into September 2011, but injuries and ineffectiveness combined to cause one of the biggest collapses in baseball history. According to people far smarter than I am, the Red Sox on September 4th had a 99.74 percent chance of making the playoffs. Or in other words, there was a bit over a quarter of one percent chance that they would miss the playoffs. And yet, improbably, it happened.
Terry Francona took the fall for that disaster amid rumblings that the players brought beer and fried chicken into the clubhouse. General manager Theo Espien also left to take over the Cubs, because he has an undying hatred for himself. To counteract a clubhouse in disarray, the team hired noted disciplinarian Bobby Valentine away from his job of spouting nonsense on ESPN to get the team back in line. And then it got worse.
Players came to dislike Valentine due to the fact that he began throwing them under the bus almost immediately. He questioned veteran Kevin Youkilis' hustle on April 16th. Ten games in! Ten! That's just one instance of things going wrong. There were more. Many more. Here's a helpful list.
The result was a 69-93 record and a last place finish. It was the first time since 1966 that they lost 90 games or more. They hadn't been a last place team since 1992. Naturally, Valentine was fired after the season. It was a hire that never should have been made in the first place and Valentine's tenure was maddeningly similar to his previous managerial stints.
Of course the Red Sox had the last laugh. One year removed from Valentine's firing, the team that Valentine bitched and moaned about for six months won the World Series. Irony- she be a cruel bitch.
Terry Francona took the fall for that disaster amid rumblings that the players brought beer and fried chicken into the clubhouse. General manager Theo Espien also left to take over the Cubs, because he has an undying hatred for himself. To counteract a clubhouse in disarray, the team hired noted disciplinarian Bobby Valentine away from his job of spouting nonsense on ESPN to get the team back in line. And then it got worse.
Players came to dislike Valentine due to the fact that he began throwing them under the bus almost immediately. He questioned veteran Kevin Youkilis' hustle on April 16th. Ten games in! Ten! That's just one instance of things going wrong. There were more. Many more. Here's a helpful list.
The result was a 69-93 record and a last place finish. It was the first time since 1966 that they lost 90 games or more. They hadn't been a last place team since 1992. Naturally, Valentine was fired after the season. It was a hire that never should have been made in the first place and Valentine's tenure was maddeningly similar to his previous managerial stints.
Of course the Red Sox had the last laugh. One year removed from Valentine's firing, the team that Valentine bitched and moaned about for six months won the World Series. Irony- she be a cruel bitch.
Names You Should Know
Quick Note: Babe Ruth isn't on this list. While Ruth was a great player for the team and a major contributor to three of their four championships in the 1910s, Ruth is better known for leaving the Red Sox for the Yankees than for actually playing for the Red Sox. There are other players/managers of great importance in Red Sox history other than Ruth, so lets get to them.
Cy Young: One of the greatest pitchers in history and a member of the first ever Red Sox team. Young was an established veteran by the time he joined the Americans, but still had a lot of stuff left in him. His first season on the team, he led the majors with a 1.26 ERA (he had a career 2.00 ERA as a Red Sock, second only to Smokey Joe Wood). Young led the majors or the AL three times in wins and his 192 as a Red Sock are tied for the most in team history. He also pitched the only perfect game in team history on May 5th, 1904.
In addition to all that, Young has the distinct honor of throwing the first pitch in World Series history. Oh and in case you haven't heard, he was a good enough pitcher for an award to be named after him later. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
In addition to all that, Young has the distinct honor of throwing the first pitch in World Series history. Oh and in case you haven't heard, he was a good enough pitcher for an award to be named after him later. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
Tris Speaker: A great player in the Red Sox's early history. Speaker was a great hitter both in volume and in average. He is in the top ten all-time in both batting average (6th, .3447) and hits (5th, 3,514). While he spent more time with the Cleveland Indians, he started off in Boston and began to apply his craft there and won the first MVP award in team history. Oh, and he was openly a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The early twentieth century, everybody! Speaker was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
Joe Cronin: The winningest manager in Red Sox history, accumulateing 1,071 wins in 13 seasons. Cronin was a player/manager, going to five All-Star games as team skipper. Cronin also hit a clean .300 in his eleven years as a Red Sox player. Cronin had the distinction of breaking the Red Sox's streak of being completely awful, securing their first winning season since 1918 in his first in 1935. Once he retired as a player, he managed the team to its first pennant since 1918 in 1946. Cronin's number 4 jersey was retired by the team (he and Ted Williams were the first people to receive that honor). Cronin was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a player in 1956.
Bobby Doerr: A career Red Sox player, spending 14 seasons with the team. Doerr was a perennial All-Star, going to nine games in his career. He was a solid hitter, smacking more than 200 home runs and also hitting .288 in his career. While he wasn't the type of player that typically led leagues in stats or got to the pretty round numbers, he was still a solid player and he did lead the AL in slugging percentage in 1944. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 through the veteran's committee and his number 1 was retired by the team.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Doerr is that as of this writing, he's still alive at the ripe age of 96. He was at the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park in 2012, being the oldest person in attendance. He's also the only living player who played in the 1930s.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Doerr is that as of this writing, he's still alive at the ripe age of 96. He was at the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park in 2012, being the oldest person in attendance. He's also the only living player who played in the 1930s.
Ted Williams: Teddy Ballgame! Perhaps the best hitter in baseball history, Williams spent his entire career with the Red Sox, smacking the shit out of balls all the while. He was the last player to hit over .400 in a season. On the last day of the 1941 season (my negative 50th birthday, coincidentally), the Red Sox were scheduled for a double-header against the Philadelphia Athletics and Williams had a .3995 batting average going in, which would have been rounded up to .400 had Williams not played. He played. And killed it in both games to the point that Williams' final average for the year was .406.
Williams famously served our country in World War II. Despite the government effectively saying he didn't have to enlist, Williams did anyway and missed three seasons in the process. A few years later the Korean War broke out and Williams went and fought in a SECOND war during his career, leaving for the Korean front for much of the 1952 and 1953 seasons. As a nifty little trivia note, Williams served as John Glenn's wingman during his tour of Korea.
Williams is the only Red Sox player to win multiple MVPs (he won two) and one of two players to win more than one triple crown (where a player leads the majors in batting average, runs batted in and home runs). He also got a TON of walks which skyrocketed his OBP (he is the career leader in the stat with an unreal .482). While he only went to one World Series, Williams was still unbelievably successful and loved by fans despite his sometimes moody nature. And in perfect fashion, he hit a home run on the final at-bat of his career in 1960 at the age of 41, causing all of Boston to piss its collective pants. Williams' number 9 was the first number retired by the team along with Joe Cronin.
In one final moment of awesome, when Williams was inducted into the hall of fame in 1966, he specifically called out the induction committee by basically saying "Y'know, there were some pretty great players in the Negro Leagues, you guys should probably get off your asses and put some in here already." Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, the two players Williams mentioned in his speech, were inducted within a decade of his remarks.
Basically, Ted Williams was fucking awesome.
Williams famously served our country in World War II. Despite the government effectively saying he didn't have to enlist, Williams did anyway and missed three seasons in the process. A few years later the Korean War broke out and Williams went and fought in a SECOND war during his career, leaving for the Korean front for much of the 1952 and 1953 seasons. As a nifty little trivia note, Williams served as John Glenn's wingman during his tour of Korea.
Williams is the only Red Sox player to win multiple MVPs (he won two) and one of two players to win more than one triple crown (where a player leads the majors in batting average, runs batted in and home runs). He also got a TON of walks which skyrocketed his OBP (he is the career leader in the stat with an unreal .482). While he only went to one World Series, Williams was still unbelievably successful and loved by fans despite his sometimes moody nature. And in perfect fashion, he hit a home run on the final at-bat of his career in 1960 at the age of 41, causing all of Boston to piss its collective pants. Williams' number 9 was the first number retired by the team along with Joe Cronin.
In one final moment of awesome, when Williams was inducted into the hall of fame in 1966, he specifically called out the induction committee by basically saying "Y'know, there were some pretty great players in the Negro Leagues, you guys should probably get off your asses and put some in here already." Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, the two players Williams mentioned in his speech, were inducted within a decade of his remarks.
Basically, Ted Williams was fucking awesome.
Carl Yastrzemski: So Ted Williams just retired, who do you put in left field to replace him? How about another hall of famer? Enter a then 21 year old Carl Yastrzemski, who wound up playing 23 seasons in the majors, all with the Red Sox. While not as good of a hitter as Williams (who was, really?), Yaz was still damn good, winning four batting titles. In addition to being a great player combined with the fact that he played for a million years for one team, Yaz naturally is at the top or near the top of most statistical categories in Red Sox history, including hits, games played and runs, among others. He was also the last player to win the triple crown (he won it in 1967 and won the AL MVP to boot) until Miguel Cabrera did in 2012. Also, Yaz was teammates with Sam Malone.
And for those of you paying attention, not counting Ted Williams' military service, the Red Sox had a hall of famer in left field for 45 consecutive seasons. And people were impressed with the Joe Montana/Steve Young connection in San Francisco. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, his first year of eligibility and his number 8 was retired by the team.
And for those of you paying attention, not counting Ted Williams' military service, the Red Sox had a hall of famer in left field for 45 consecutive seasons. And people were impressed with the Joe Montana/Steve Young connection in San Francisco. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, his first year of eligibility and his number 8 was retired by the team.
Carlton Fisk: The first Pudge! Fisk was one of the greatest catchers in history, certainly one of the most durable as he was catching well past his 40th birthday (he also belted 72 homers from age 40 on, the most ever for someone that old). Fisk also has the honor of being the first unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
Perhaps his most enduring mark on baseball was admiring his game winning home run in the 1975 World Series. Fisk's "stay in" motion and ensuing celebration are now iconic images and changed the way baseball was covered on TV (back in the day, when a player hit a home run, cameras stayed on the flying ball and not on the player, but Fisk's animated reaction changed that). And amazingly, this was all a result of a rat getting near the cameraman. Fisk was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000 and his number 27 was retired by the team.
Perhaps his most enduring mark on baseball was admiring his game winning home run in the 1975 World Series. Fisk's "stay in" motion and ensuing celebration are now iconic images and changed the way baseball was covered on TV (back in the day, when a player hit a home run, cameras stayed on the flying ball and not on the player, but Fisk's animated reaction changed that). And amazingly, this was all a result of a rat getting near the cameraman. Fisk was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000 and his number 27 was retired by the team.
Luis Tiant: El Tiante! Luis Tiant played for a million years for a million different teams, but he had his longest stay with the Red Sox, pitching for Beantown for eight seasons in the 70s. While his best years came as a member of the Cleveland Indians, Tiant was still really good as a Red Sock and lead the majors with a 1.91 ERA in 1972. Oh, and he was awesome during the 1975 postseason, striking out 20 batters in four games, winning three of them.
Tiant was also in a beer commercial on Cheers in the first season (by the way, there's going to be A LOT of Cheers references in this article), but I can't find a video link to that scene. So just watch the episode (Now Pitching, Sam Malone) on Netflix or just skip to that scene, it's the best of the episode and one of the best of the whole series.
Tiant was also in a beer commercial on Cheers in the first season (by the way, there's going to be A LOT of Cheers references in this article), but I can't find a video link to that scene. So just watch the episode (Now Pitching, Sam Malone) on Netflix or just skip to that scene, it's the best of the episode and one of the best of the whole series.
Dwight Evans: One of the more underrated Red Sox in the last 30 years or so. Evans played for the Red Sox for almost twenty years, being a consistent force both offensively and defensively. Evans won eight Gold Gloves in his career while leading in walks three times, OBP once and OPS twice. Evans isn't in the hall of fame (he fell off the ballot in just his third year of eligibility), but he should be. I can't explain it as well as Bill James, so read his column and draw your own conclusions.
Jim Rice: Another great player for the Red Sox in the 70s and 80s. Rice was one of the better hitters of his era, having the reputation for being a player pitchers didn't want to face. He lead in home runs three times and accumulated a career batting average of .298. Rice went to eight All Star games and spent his entire 16 year career with the Red Sox. Though it's a bit of a controversial issue (to put it mildly), Rice was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 in his 15th and final year on the ballot.
Wade Boggs: Mr. Wage Boggs. On TV, Boggs has been run out of bars and punched in them. In real life, he had an elaborate relationship with a woman who wasn't his wife. And allegedly, he was a boozer of legendary repute. Oh, and he was pretty good at baseball, too.
Boggs was one of the greatest hitters of his day, second only to Tony Gwynn in sheer proficiency. He won five batting titles in six years, hitting .328 overall for his career. He also had 200 or more hits in seven straight seasons from 1983 to 1989. He is one of just 28 other players to accumulate 3,000 or more hits (3,010, currently 26th all-time). And he went to twelve straight All-Star games from 1985 to 1996.
While his number wasn't retired by the Red Sox, he was the first (and to date only) player to have that honor bestowed by the Tampa Bay Rays (not counting Jackie Robinson of course), despite only playing two seasons for them. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, his first year of eligibility.
Boggs was one of the greatest hitters of his day, second only to Tony Gwynn in sheer proficiency. He won five batting titles in six years, hitting .328 overall for his career. He also had 200 or more hits in seven straight seasons from 1983 to 1989. He is one of just 28 other players to accumulate 3,000 or more hits (3,010, currently 26th all-time). And he went to twelve straight All-Star games from 1985 to 1996.
While his number wasn't retired by the Red Sox, he was the first (and to date only) player to have that honor bestowed by the Tampa Bay Rays (not counting Jackie Robinson of course), despite only playing two seasons for them. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, his first year of eligibility.
Roger Clemens: Simply put, one of the best and most controversial pitchers ever. Clemens played 24 seasons but got his start with the Red Sox. He won 192 games in Beantown (tied with Cy Young for most in team history) and led in ERA four times. He also won three Cy Young Awards and the 1986 AL MVP. So yeah, he was pretty damn good.
Clemens famously (or infamously depending on your point of view) left the Red Sox in free agency after posting some good but not as great-as-he-once-was numbers in his last four seasons or so in Boston. Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said after he left that he (Duquette) had hoped to keep Clemens in Boston through "the twilight of his career." A twilight that included leading in ERA another two times, wins two times, strikeouts twice and winning another four Cy Youngs and a couple World Series with the hated Yankees.
Although to ease up a bit on Duquette, Clemens almost surely was taking steroids by this point, so Boston was left out of the shit storm that came because of Clemens' association with PEDs (Clemens is widely accepted to have been clean in his 13 years with the Red Sox). Clemens, despite finishing his career pretty damn high in most relevant pitching categories, has yet to be inducted into the hall of fame, thanks due in no large part to the above mentioned association with PEDs.
Clemens famously (or infamously depending on your point of view) left the Red Sox in free agency after posting some good but not as great-as-he-once-was numbers in his last four seasons or so in Boston. Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said after he left that he (Duquette) had hoped to keep Clemens in Boston through "the twilight of his career." A twilight that included leading in ERA another two times, wins two times, strikeouts twice and winning another four Cy Youngs and a couple World Series with the hated Yankees.
Although to ease up a bit on Duquette, Clemens almost surely was taking steroids by this point, so Boston was left out of the shit storm that came because of Clemens' association with PEDs (Clemens is widely accepted to have been clean in his 13 years with the Red Sox). Clemens, despite finishing his career pretty damn high in most relevant pitching categories, has yet to be inducted into the hall of fame, thanks due in no large part to the above mentioned association with PEDs.
Pedro Martinez: One of the great pitchers of his era. Martinez spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, leading the majors in ERA four times and the AL in strikeouts three times. He was one of the key players that helped snap the Red Sox's World Series drought in 2004. Martinez won three Cy Young Awards (two with Boston) and was an eight-time All-Star. He currently sits 13th all-time with 3,154 strikeouts and is pretty much a lock to make the hall of fame when he's up in 2015.
Manny Ramirez: A great hitter known mostly for his off the field excursions than for his brilliance on the diamond. Ramirez was one of the best hitters in history, posting a career line of .312/.411/.585/.996. He also smacked 2,574 hits and 555 home runs. But that's not what people usually associate with Manny Ramirez. They usually think of a guy who was a major pain in the ass. Manny being Manny it was called.
That included leaving his defensive assignment in the middle of a game to take a leak, getting suspended twice for PED use, pouting and making a scene when he didn't get his way, shoving a team secretary to the ground, getting arrested for slapping his wife, etc. Manny being Manny, or a douche as it's usually called.
Ramirez was one of the players that shifted the Red Sox into champions rather than also-rans. He was the first player in Red Sox history to win World Series MVP and helped lead the team to two titles in four years. He'll first be eligible for induction into the hall of fame in 2017, though don't expect him to go in immediately (or at all).
That included leaving his defensive assignment in the middle of a game to take a leak, getting suspended twice for PED use, pouting and making a scene when he didn't get his way, shoving a team secretary to the ground, getting arrested for slapping his wife, etc. Manny being Manny, or a douche as it's usually called.
Ramirez was one of the players that shifted the Red Sox into champions rather than also-rans. He was the first player in Red Sox history to win World Series MVP and helped lead the team to two titles in four years. He'll first be eligible for induction into the hall of fame in 2017, though don't expect him to go in immediately (or at all).
Terry Francona: The second winningest manager in team history behind Joe Cronin. Francona took the reigns as Red Sox skipper in 2004 and the team immediately won the World Series. The Red Sox were a perennial playoff team under Francona, winning 90 or more games six times and getting to at least the ALCS three times. In Francona's stay in Boston from 2004 to 2011, only the Yankees won more games in the majors than the Red Sox (noticing a pattern?). More importantly, the Red Sox won two World Series under Francona.
Five Current Guys You Should Know
David Ortiz: Big Papi! While ostensibly labeled as a first baseman, Ortiz has actually played far more games as a designated hitter. Second only to Edgar Martinez and perhaps Frank Thomas, David Ortiz is the greatest DH in history.
Ortiz has made a career out of hitting diggers, amassing more than 430 as of this writing. In his career with the Red Sox, he has hit .300 or better when logging 600 or more plate appearances five times. As of this writing, Ortiz's .548 slugging percentage is the 27th best in history. And I haven't even started talking about his postseason numbers yet.
In 82 playoff games, Ortiz has logged 357 plate appearances with a .295/.409/.553 batting line and 17 homers. In the 2013 World Series alone he hit .688/.760/1.188 in 25 plate appearances with 2 home runs. Shockingly, he was named WS MVP.
He's been the face of the Red Sox for much of the last decade or so. While Ortiz has a history with PEDs (he tested positive for.... something... in 2003), he's never failed a test since MLB instituted a drug policy and will likely get into Cooperstown at some point when he's eligible.
Ortiz has made a career out of hitting diggers, amassing more than 430 as of this writing. In his career with the Red Sox, he has hit .300 or better when logging 600 or more plate appearances five times. As of this writing, Ortiz's .548 slugging percentage is the 27th best in history. And I haven't even started talking about his postseason numbers yet.
In 82 playoff games, Ortiz has logged 357 plate appearances with a .295/.409/.553 batting line and 17 homers. In the 2013 World Series alone he hit .688/.760/1.188 in 25 plate appearances with 2 home runs. Shockingly, he was named WS MVP.
He's been the face of the Red Sox for much of the last decade or so. While Ortiz has a history with PEDs (he tested positive for.... something... in 2003), he's never failed a test since MLB instituted a drug policy and will likely get into Cooperstown at some point when he's eligible.
Dustin Pedroia: One of the current faces of the Red Sox. Pedroia got his career off to a hot start, winning the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 (one of seemingly hundreds of Red Sox players to do so), then won the AL MVP the next year. All the while he's put up a .302/.369/.451 batting line, pretty great for a second baseman. He's also won three Gold Gloves and has gone to four All-Star games. And his career isn't near over from the looks of it, so expect to see the number of accolades grow over the next decade or so.
Clay Buchholz: One of the better pitchers on the team. Buchholz (pronounced Buck-Holtz) has been decent so far in his career, currently holding career a 3.70 ERA and 1.309 WHIP. Yeah, he's not going to be turning heads with those numbers, but he's also not a liability. That goes a long way in the majors.
John Farrell: Current skipper of the Red Sox. Farrell was the Red Sox's pitching coach when they won the World Series in 2007. He later went on to manage the Toronto Blue Jays, but that didn't go so well. He was actually traded to his old team after the Bobby Valentine fiasco and the team responded by winning 97 games (the most since 2004) and winning the World Series.
While the jury's still out on whether the team won a championship because of Farrell's skills as a manager or for the fact that he's NOT Bobby Valentine, Farrell's still got a talented roster to play around with and the Red Sox will likely be contenders for the next few years with this roster.
While the jury's still out on whether the team won a championship because of Farrell's skills as a manager or for the fact that he's NOT Bobby Valentine, Farrell's still got a talented roster to play around with and the Red Sox will likely be contenders for the next few years with this roster.
Mike Napoli: A relative newcomer to the Red Sox, but someone who made a big splash in his first year. Napoli signed with the Red Sox a a free agent before the 2013 season and hit .259/.360/.482. He was good for 4.2 WAR according to Baseball-Reference, the second highest of his career so far. As of this writing, Napoli is hitting .304/.396/.533 with five home runs through 24 games. Oh, and after the whole Red Sox team grew beards for their playoff push and beyond, Napoli was the only one who kept his. Good for him?
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That'll do it. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to try and feign interest in the rest of my semester.
